1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a data communicating apparatus and a data communicating method which can communicate through a plurality of kinds of networks.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, a facsimile apparatus communicates image data through a public switched telephone network (PSTN).
In a computer communication, various data communications of voice, data, image, and the like through the internet are executed.
In recent years, what is called an internet facsimile for performing a facsimile communication through the internet has been proposed. The internet facsimile converts facsimile information to a format (for example, TIFF) of an annexed file of an electronic mail. The converted data is communicated as electronic mail data through the internet. The communication of the facsimile information through the internet has an advantage such that communication costs are cheap.
In case of the transmission by an electronic mail, however, even if a transmitting process is performed at a terminal on the transmitting side, whether the electronic mail has actually correctly reached the partner destination or not is obscure. If the electronic mail does not reach the communication partner, a notification that the electronic mail did not reach is sent after a little while after completion of the transmitting process. There is, consequently, a case where even if the operator on the transmitting source side performed the transmitting process of the electronic mail, the electronic mail does not actually correctly reach the partner destination.
On the other hand, although the conventional facsimile communication through the PSTN have higher communication costs than those of the communication of the facsimile information through the internet mentioned above, it has an advantage such that whether the facsimile information could certainly be transmitted to the communication partner destination or not can be immediately performed as compared with the communication of the electronic mail through the internet mentioned above.
By paying attention to the foregoing points, it is an object of the invention to provide a data communicating apparatus which can perform a data communication by properly selectively using a plurality of kinds of networks, for example, the internet and the public swicthed telephone network.
Another object of the invention is to provide a data communicating apparatus in which in the case where instantaneousness is required in a data transmission to a partner destination, data is transmitted through a network suitable for the instantaneousness and, on the other hand, when instantaneousness of the data transmission is not so important, the data is transmitted through a network of cheap communication costs.
The other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings.